333 North Michigan Avenue

Chicago, Illinois

333 North Michigan is a 35-story
commercial property long held by the Wirtz family. The building was designed by
Holabird & Root and completed in 1928 in an early art deco style. Over
many years of ownership, little capital improvement was undertaken on the
public side of the building. Recently, the owners realized that with
retail development moving south toward Millennium Park, a highly visible
renovation was required in order to maintain the property’s relevance on an
important corner in Chicago.

The renovation of the building
included both infrastructure and retail-focused changes. This work incorporated
adding another floor of retail to the ground-floor offering, moving from only
ground-floor retail to both ground- and second-floor retail space. The original
building entry, which had previously been removed and “modernized” over the
building tenure, was recreated, and the lobby was designed to be more
functional and truer to the original architect’s vision. Elevator cabs
were renovated to be more in keeping with the original vision as well.

The building further needed new
two-story retail windows and enclosures, as the originals had rusted through and
required full replacement. A new retail master plan was also created to develop
locations for new entries to retail and adjust with leasing activity.

New infrastructure in the form of
new and renovated mechanical rooms and distribution, as well as a new
electrical bus duct, brought the building up to modern standards. New corridors
and standards for tenant entries were implemented. Bathrooms are being
renovated on a floor-by-floor basis as they become available and as tenants are
replaced. The floors that housed the former Tavern Club are being transformed
into “special” office space, with taller ceilings, renovated outdoor terraces, a
new exterior enclosure, and sweeping views up and down Michigan Avenue.